Air-compressor



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. G. HAINES.

AIR COMPRESSOR. No. 480,193. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. G. HAINES.v

AIR COMPRESSOR. No. 480,193. Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OHN GARDINER HAINES, OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

AIR-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,193, dated August2, 1892.

Application filed August 1'7, 1891. Serial No. 402,889. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GARDINER HAINES, of Omaha, in the county ofDouglas, and in the State of Nebraska, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Air-Compressors; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a viewof my apparatus in Vertical section; Fig. 2, a detail perspective viewof the air-inlet-controlling valve I have invented, with the cup-likedevice at its lower end shown as detached; Fig. 3, a vertical sectionthrough the same; Fig. 4, a detail vertical section, enlarged, of thevalve preferably used to control the movements of the movable shell orcylinder of my compressor; and Figs. 5 and 6 are views in detail of thetwo latch devices employed to hold the valves illustrated in thepreceding figure against movement in one direction.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in the severalfigures.

The design of my invention is to make certain improvements in apparatusfor compress ing or pumping air; and to this end it consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts, substantially as and for thepurpose hereinafter specified.

My invention is designed more particularly to be used in the manufactureof gas by carbureting air; but while this is the special use to which Ipropose to put it, and for the sake of full illustration show it inconnection with a carburetor, it is to be understood that I do not limitmyself to such or any special use.

Reference now being had to the drawings, A and B designate,respectively, two telescoping cylindrical shells constructed,preferably, of galvanized iron, the former being closed at its lower andthe latter at its upper end and the one of lesser diameter.

In the cylinderA is a body a of liquid, preferably water, filling thesame nearly to its top, into which extends the cylinder 15, beingVertically movable therein within such limits as to have its lower endor portion at all times immersed in the liquid.

Attached to the top of the cylinder B, at its center and extendingtherefrom upward and downward for substantially equal distances,

is a hollow or tubular piston-rod 0, through which movement may beimparted to the cylinder. To the lower end of said rod is secured apiston of any suitable construction, which fits and moves within acylinder D, fixed to and extending upward from the bottom of thecylinder A to a point above the level of the water therein. The lowerend of the cylinder D is in communication with a pipe E, that is beneaththe bottom of the cylinder A and in connection with a source of supplyof water, steam, or other fluid under pressure, by means of which thepiston and the cylinder B, connected thereto, may be raised.

The supply of fluid to the cylinder to raise the piston and itsdischarge therefrom to allow its descent are controlled byautomatically-operated valves F and G on opposite sides of the same inthe pipe E. Said valves are located immediately adjacent to the outsideof the diametrically-opposite walls of the cylinder A, and from themvalve-rods f and g, respectively, extend upward to points above theupper limit of movement of the cylinder B, passing through and beingguided each by an extension of a cross-bar H, that is secured to andsupported by two vertical rods a and a, which extend from the bottom ofthe cylinder A at points diametrically opposite upward to such bar. Eachvalve is an ordinary balanced valve, and, as shown best in Fig. 4,consists of three disks f ,f and f attached to the valve-rod at fixeddistances apart and movable up and down in a casing or chamber F, whichthey closely fit. Said casing, which is merely a tube or cylinder openat both ends, is in communication with the pipe E, and in the case ofthe valve F has an inlet-opening f below said pipe, while in the case ofthe valve G an outlet-opening g is provided above said pipe E. The disksf are so arranged relatively to each other that at one limit of theirvertical movement by means of two of them communication will beestablished between the pipe E, and in the case of the valve F with theinlet-opening f and in the case of the valve G with the outlet-opening 9while at the other limit of their movement they will act to cut off saidpipe from such communication. The supply-controlling valve F is openedwhen the cylinder is at the lower limit of its movement and closed whenit is at its upperlimit, while the movements of thedischarge-controlling valve G are just the reverse, and both areeffected through the cylinder B. To throw and keep the valve F open, therodfhas secured to its top end above the cross-barlI a weight f of suchgravity as to move the valve when allowed so to do, while to raise thevalve to cut off the fluid supply the rod f has fixed upon it near itsupper end, but at a point below the upperlimit of movement reached bythe top of the cylinder B, a button or collar I, adapted to be struckand moved by an outwardly-projecting arm b, secured to the saidcylinder-top. Said arm at its outer end is forked, so as to embrace therodf, to enable the button to be fairly engaged. \Vhen raised therequisite height, the valve is held thereat by a button or collar ffixed on and carried by the rod being lifted into engagement with aspring latch or pawl J, that is secured to the rod a, adjacent to thevalve-rod f at a point at or a trifle short of the lower limit ofmovement of the top of the cylinder B. Said latch engages the abruptunder side of the button or collar) and has an inclined face adapted tobe engaged by the under side of the forked arm Z) to move the latchinward to free said collar f and allow the weight) to act to open thevalve, such engagement of said arm I) and said latch taking place whenthe lower limit of movement of the cylinder is reached. The movements ofthe discharge-controllin g valve G are effected by mechanism similar tothat just described; but as such movements are reverse to those of thevalve]? such mechanism is diiferently arranged. A weight g is employedto raise and keep raised the valve G to open the pipe E and permit thedischarge of fluid, and since it actuates the rod 9 reversely to the rodf, instead of being mounted or fixed thereon, a cord or rope g isattached to the rod above the cross-bar H, to which the weight issecured and from which it depends after the cord has been carried over apulley or roller 9 To close the valve, which is eifected by lowering therod g, a button or collar g is secured fixedly to the latter at a pointshort of the lowerlimit of movement of the top of the cylinder B,adapted to be struck and moved by an arm I) thereon, and when so closedit is held against being opened by the weight g by a button or collar gengaging a spring latch or pawl J, which is situated at the upper limitof movement of the cylinder-top to enable at the proper time the releaseof the button or collar from the latch by the engagement and movement ofthe latter by the arm I) on said cylindertop. The latch engages theabrupt upper face of the collar g to hold the rod against upwardmovement and has a downwardly-extending portion, which is adapted to bestruck by the arm I) on the cylinder to move the latch outward, so as tofree the collar g from its engagement.

The shifting-button f is so situated on the rod f that after the valvehas been closed by the engagement with the valve-rods'of the arm on thecylinder there must be a further movement of the cylinder before thelatch device of the other valve G is engaged by the arm 1) on the otherside of the top of the cylinder and said valve released and opened byits weight, thus enabling the complete shutting off of fluid before theopening of the discharge-valve. To produce this further movement, thepiston-rod C is made tubular or hollow, with its upper end closed andits lower open, so that the propelling or moving fluid used to elevatethe cylinder B will compress the airin such rod and keep it compressedso long as the fluid flows into the cylinder D; but when the supply offluid is cut off by the valve F, as before described, the compressed airwill expand, and, exerting its force against the closed upper end of thepiston-rod, will raise the latter and with it the cylinder, the distancerequired to trip the latch of valve G and permit the latter to open. Thecylinder B on the opening of the discharge-valve will descend by forceof gravity and the piston will expel the fluid from its cylinder D, andwhen its descent is nearly completed close the discharge-valve, andafterward by a further downward movement trip the latch of the valve Fand enable the weight thereon to open the same. After closing thedischargevalve the extra movement necessary to open the supply-valve isnot prevented by the piston and fluid in its cylinder, because the airin the hollow rod admits of some compres" sion on the further descentofthe cylinder B.

The parts thus far described are substantially the same in theirstructure and operation as the similar parts shown in a like apparatusmade the subject of an application filed by me March 23, 1891, andserially numbered 386,066, except that weights are employed to move thevalve-rods in one direction instead of springs, and therefore such partsare not claimed herein. The tubular or hollow piston-rod 0 passesthrough an opening in the cross-bar II, supported on the rods a and a,and thus serves to guide the cylinder 13 in its movements, and, ifdesired, suitable rollers may be secured to the top of the cylinder torun 011 said rods for a like purpose. During the upward movement of thecylinder B air is taken into the space left between the same and thesurface of the body of water therein, which is compressed and dischargedby the descent thereof. To supply air to said space upon the rising ofthe cylinder, a valve or valves of peculiar structure are provided,which allow influx of air on the decrease of pressure in such space inconsequence of such rising, but do not permit its efllux through them onthe descent of the cylinder. Two

valves are preferably provided, being attached to and supported from thetop of the cylinder and constructed each as follows: Passing through anopening in the cylindertop and projecting both above and below the sameis a tube or pipe K, open throughout its length and inclosing almost theentire portion thereof that is below the top, is a shell L, whosecross-sectional area is greater than that of the pipe K, so that betweenthem is left a space. The lower end of said shell is below the lower endof the pipe K'and is open, and its upper end is drawn inward andattached to said pipe, which thus supports it. Surrounding its loweropen end is a cup M, having a bottom and sides, but no top, and of suchsize and having such arrangement that a slight space is left between thesame and the shell on all sides and the bottom. Said cup is filled witha liquid, preferably water,

, so that the lower portion of the pipe K and the inclosing shell L aresubmerged, and it is attached to and supported by the latter, as bystraps N. The lower portion of the shell L all around its open end isprovided with a number of narrow vertical slits or openings Z, and inthe top inwardly-drawn portion is a number of openings Z.

The operation of the valve thus constructed is as follows: On theraising of the cylinder B air will pass through the pipe K and out ofits lower end into the space between it and the shell L and thenceupward and into the cylinder through the openings Z, having in itspassage forced its waythrough the water submerging the end of the pipeK. When the cylinder descends to compress and force out the air, thelatter will not be able to pass out through the valve, as the watertherein will act as a seal to prevent it being forced up into the pipeK. The cup M is always kept full of water, as upon the descent of thecylinder it is carried into and submerged by the body thereof in thecylinder A. It will thus be seen that the water seal is automaticallykept perfect. Entrance of water into the shell L to surround the lowerend of the pipe K is efiected through the numerous slits or openingsmade in the walls of the shell and through the space beneath the bottomedges of said walls, which space, owing to the provision of the slits,may be quite small. Thus, by the peculiar structure of the shell L,though sufficient means are provided for filling the cup M with liquid,discharge or expulsion therefrom during inward passage of air isobviated.

The shell L and cup M, although shown as square in cross-section, may becircular or any other shape.

Discharge of air by the fall of the cylinder Bis elfected through a pipe0, that passes through an opening in the bottom of the cylinder A upwardto a point above the level of the fluid therein, and said pipe at itsother end is carried into a carburetor I, into and through which air isforced therefrom. The

withdrawal of air from the carburetor on the rising of the cylinder B isprevented by sub merging the end of the pipe 0 in the carburetor in theoil or other fluid which may be therein and carrying said pipe to aheight before connecting it with the air-compressor, to which the latterwill be unable to lift said fluid.

The carburetor may be of any suitablestructure and the carbureted airmaybe discharged therefrom into any desirable reservoir.

When steam is used to move the pistonin the cylinder D, theair-discharging pipe 0 is placed, as shown, around and incloses saidcylinder, so that the heat from the steam in the latter will not becommunicated to the liquid in the cylinder and so that the air inpassing. out may be heated. This latter is quite important, as when thegas when made does not have to be carried very far before being used Iam enabled to use for its generation a heavy or low grade of oil.

The air-inlet-controlling valve I have invented operates most perfectly,is free from parts likely to become deranged or inoperative, andthereforecontributes most materially to the successful and enduringoperation of the apparatus with which it may be employed.

Having thus described myinvention, whatI claim is- 1. In an aircompressor, in combination with a cylinder or tank containing a liquid,a cylinder or shell movable within the other and anair-inlet-controlling valve carried by the same, having a liquid sealcontained in acup that is adapted to be plunged into the liquid.contained in the tank, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an air-compressor, in combination with a cylinder or tankcontaining a liquid, a cylinder or shell movable therein and anairinlet-controlling valve consisting of a pipe or tube open throughoutits length, a shell inclosing the same, and a cup inclosing the end ofthe latter, containing a liquid submerging the end of the shell and aportion of said pipe or tube, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. In a valve, in combination, a pipe or tube, a shell surrounding thesame, and a cup surrounding an end of said shell adapted to hold wateror other fluid to submerge a portion of the shell and the tube inclosedthereby, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

4. In a valve, in combination, a pipe or tube, a shell surrounding thesame, adapted to permit passage of air, and a cup surrounding an endportion of said shell adapted to hold a liquid to submerge the portionof the shell inclosed thereby and a portion of the tube within theshell, the inclosed portions of the latter having openings through itssides,'substantially as and for the purpose shown.

5. In a valve, in combination, apipe or tube, a shell surrounding thesame, adapted to permit passage of air, and a cup surrounding an endportion of said shell adapted to hold a liquid to submerge the portionof the shell inclosed and a portion of the tube within theshell, thelower end of the latter being proadapted for connection witha source ofsteanb, vided with numerous slits, substantially as supply,substantially as and for the purpose and for the purpose set forth.described.

6. In an air-compressor, in combination In testimony that I claim theforegoing I 5 with a tank or cylinder for holding a. liquid, havehereunto set my hand this 23d day of r 5 a cylinder movable within thesame, a piston July, 1891.

connected to said second-named cylinder, a JOHN GARDINER HAINES.cylinder for said piston arranged Within the Witnesses: liquid-holdingtank, and an air-discharge pipe DANA S. LANDER,

IO inclosing the piston-cylinder, the latter being EDITH CONRAD.

